We are arriving in Barcelona On DEC 22 and leaving on Jan 1, for a 10 night stay. we will greatly appreciate idea. we are a couple in mid 60s with not much inclination for outdoor sports kind of activities, we like to see places and history etc. We have been to Madrid, Seville, Toledo before, so we will not repeat this time. My question is, as I understood, Barcelona it\self needs 3-4 Days, so how can we find optimum ideas for 6 day of essentially day trips as we do not want to pack and unpack things frequently.
some of the places we thought about are Montserrat, Girona, Possibly Vall du Nuria (?) , Valencia(?). Granada is an idea but may involve staying there plus could be expensive just to see Alhambra, right? Thanks greatly for any feed back.
Posted by
8246 posts
I would not plan on taking six day trips from Barcelona. Valencia and Granada are way to far away.
Yes, Monserrat and Girona.
I remember waiting 45 minutes at the rail station to buy a rail ticket, the line moved very slowly. We couldn't buy tickets with our credit cards in the machines.
Posted by
Washington DC
28082 posts
Keep in mind that the days will be extremely short at the time of your trip. It will take more days to accomplish what you want to do in Barcelona in December than it would at other times of the year.
I agree that Valencia and Granada are too far from Barceloma to be treated as day trips. Even Valencia is almost 3 hours away on the fastest routing, and that doesn't include the time to get from your hotel to the train station.
Posted by
NC
397 posts
We found the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres fascinating and well worth a visit. If you go to Girona, Figueres is nearby.
Posted by
526 posts
Barcelona definitely has more stuff than you could see in 3-4 days. I'd do a day trip to Monserrat (be flexible and pick a good weather day). If you are at all into Dali, I'd spend a long half day in Figueres.
Nick's Civil War Walking tour really isn't much walking. It's very good and particularly relevant given the times. https://thespanishcivilwar.com/#:~:text=Nick%27s%20Spanish%20Civil%20War%20tour,through%20a%20vibrant%20walking%20tour.
A rooftop flamenco concert after the tour of Casa Battlo or a performance at the Palau de la Musica main hall?
Posted by
San Antonio TX, United States
2393 posts
A tour of the Freixenet Caves is a quick train ride and fun. Barcelona is a great chill city. I can sit and drink sangria abd people watch for hours!
Posted by
3 posts
There's an American who vlogs on YouTube that has a number of videos on day trips from Barcelona "Patrick's Guide Barcelona". He is also a tour guide in Barcelona. He gave us an amazing walking tour of the old city center and I highly recommend him. Here's a link to his YouTube channel: 1
In Barcelona, besides some of the major sights, I recommend visiting the "Recinte Modernista de Sant Paul" (St Paul Hospital). It's a prime example of Modernista architecture and is not overcrowded with tourists.
I think you should wait for another trip to see Granada and/or Valencia especially since you only have 6 days. You'll lose one day traveling to either one.
We are in our 60s and thoroughly enjoyed Barcelona. Hope you enjoy it too.
Posted by
NC
397 posts
Second the suggestion for Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau! It is a gorgeous, peaceful, non-touristy place just a quick walk from Sagrada Familia. The tile work is amazing and the idea that a hospital should be a beautiful space makes one pause and reflect on modern healthcare. Sant Pau was a Barcelona highlight for us.
Others are enthusiastic about Montserrat. For us, the best part was the cable car ride to the top. Once up, it was incredibly crowded and, honestly, disappointing.